Efficacy of Chitin Synthesis Inhibitors: Effect on Peritrophic Membrane against Tribolium Castaneum and Heliothis Armigera

Since the advent of man, a struggle has been in progress between him and insects but with very little success with regard to the control of insects. Only in recent years, a conscious and deliberate attempt has been made to bring together all control measures into a harmonious and more satisfactory programme as an integrated control measure due to the problems arisen as a result of widespread indiscriminate use of synthetic organic insecticides. Progressively, less use of cultural and other practices and greater dependence on chemical compounds have produced, in many cases, a mono-system pest control.

The term ‘chitin synthesis inhibitor’ has been given to a new class of bio-rational compounds through greater selectivity of action. These compounds appear to fit the requirement of fourth-generation pesticides, such as the absence of undesirable effects on man, wildlife and the environment and compatibility with modern principle of insect-pest management.

The present investigation hence includes a study on the efficacy of three chitin synthesis inhibitor compounds—Penfluron, Diflubenzuron and Furyltriazine—on Tribolium castaneum and Heliothis armigera and on the mode of action based on histopathological studies on peritrophic membrane and testis of Heliothis armigera treated with these compounds to check the F1 generation of pest population.